Apple has been granted patents for a predictive text input user interface and digital camera features.

Patent number 8232973 is for a method, device and graphical user interface providing word recommendations for text input. Per the invention, a portable electronic device having a touch screen display performs a set of operations, including displaying a plurality of key icons, each having an adjustable size hit region, and receiving a sequence of individual touch points input by a user on the touch screen display.

The operations performed by the device further include processing the received individual touch points by: forming a user-input directed graph for the sequence of individual touch points received so far, determining a character corresponding to a last received individual touch point in accordance with the adjustable hit regions of the displayed key icons, displaying a sequence of characters corresponding to the sequence of individual touch points, and updating sizes of the adjustable hit regions for a plurality of the key icons in accordance with the sequence of individual touch points input by the user. The inventors are Kenneth Kocienda, Greg Christie, Bas Ording, Scott Forstall, Richard Willamson and Jerome Rene Bellegarda.

Patent number 823789 involves dynamic exposure metering based on face detection. A system, computer readable medium, and method for dynamically setting a camera's exposure parameters based on face detection are disclosed. When taking a picture or video of a person in front of a bright background, standard exposure algorithms tend to overexpose the background.

In one embodiment, a face detection algorithm is run on the current picture or video frame, and the exposure metering region is inset over the detected face. Exposure time, gain, or other exposure parameters may be set based on the pixels within the exposure metering region. In another embodiment, the exposure metering region tracks a moving face according to lag parameters so that the exposure metering region remains substantially over the face. In yet another embodiment, a plurality of faces may be tracked, with the exposure parameters set based on a weighted average of the pixels within the plurality of face-containing exposure metering regions. Ralph Brunner is the inventor.

Patent number 8233078 is for auto focus speed enhancement using object recognition and resolution. Autofocus operations in a digital camera are described. In one embodiment, a processor detects a face in an image captured by the camera, and calculates the size of the face.

It selects from amongst a number of previously stored face sizes, one that is closest to the calculated face size. It retrieves a previously stored lens focus position that is associated with the selected, previously stored face size. It signals a moveable lens system of the digital camera to move to a final focus position given by the retrieved, previously stored lens focus position. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. E-Chen Chang is the inventor.

It selects from amongst a number of previously stored face sizes, one that is closest to the calculated face size. It retrieves a previously stored lens focus position that is associated with the selected, previously stored face size. It signals a moveable lens system of the digital camera to move to a final focus position given by the retrieved, previously stored lens focus position. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. E-Chen Chang is the inventor.

The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office has also granted Apple the following patents:

° Patent number 8232970 for a sensor panel device that can generate and use a stimulus signal having multiple different waveforms for detecting events on or near the sensor panel is disclosed.

° Patent number 8233366 for context-based error indication methods and apparatus. A media player may occasionally be unable to play or continue to play a particular item of media. When that occurs, the media player outputs an error indication that is related to the type of media that the problem media item is representative of. For example, if the problem item is a movie, then the media player may display an error indication having the appearance of broken movie film. If the problem media item is music, then the media player may display an error indication having the appearance of a broken compact disc ("CD"). Thus whatever the type of media that is not playing, the media player outputs an error indication that is appropriate for that type of media. The error indications output by the player are therefore context-based or media-appropriate.

° Patent number 8233950 for a wireless portable device with reduced RF signal interference. A handheld device may include one or more antennas and a connector both disposed at a base of the handheld device. The connector may have a shell comprising a conductive material. The connector shell may include at least one opening in a portion of the conductive material to reduce electromagnetic interference between the connector shell and the one or more antennas.

° Patent number 8234245 for methods and systems for managing data, such as metadata. In one exemplary method, metadata from files created by several different software applications are captured, and the captured metadata is searched. The type of information in metadata for one type of file differs from the type of information in metadata for another type of file. Other methods are described and data processing systems and machine readable media are also described.

° Patent number 8234558 involves methods and apparatuses for adaptive presentation of graphical representations.